SANTA ROSA / Car crashes into stalled traffic - 4 die

Matthai Chakko Kuruvila, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Saturday, January 20, 2007

Photo: Jeff Kan Lee

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Rincon Valley firefighters look at a car involved in a fatal accident that burned on Highway 101 north of the Airport Boulevard overpass, north of Santa Rosa, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 19, 2007. (AP Photo/Press Democrat, Jeff Kan Lee) less

Rincon Valley firefighters look at a car involved in a fatal accident that burned on Highway 101 north of the Airport Boulevard overpass, north of Santa Rosa, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 19, 2007. (AP Photo/Press ... more

Photo: Jeff Kan Lee

SANTA ROSA / Car crashes into stalled traffic - 4 die

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A car hurtling at 65 mph smashed into stalled traffic on Highway 101 in Santa Rosa on Friday night, instantly killing four people and sending two more to the hospital.

Bryan Karr told police he didn't notice that cars were slowing down beside him, nor that traffic ahead had stopped, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Barbara Upham. Karr's two-door Mitsubishi slammed into a Honda Civic, which burst into flames upon impact, killing three adults and one child, Upham said.

A driver in a nearby car jumped out and tried to put out the fire, using an extinguisher from his car, Upham said. But it was to no avail for the four passengers. Fire officials soon arrived, put out the fire and used the Jaws of Life to remove two survivors, a woman and another child, who were both badly burned.